of extraordinary beauty, which induced Artaxerxes to marry her, who was then called Arsaces. At the same time Teriteuchmes, Statira's brother, married Hamestris, Arsaces' sister, one of the daughters of Darius and Parysatis; in favour of which marriage Teriteuchmes, upon his father's death, had his government given him. There was at the same time another sister in this family, no less beautiful than Statira, and who besides excelled in the arts of shooting with the bow, and throwing the dart. Teriteuchmes her brother conceived a criminal passion for her, and to gratify it, resolved to set himself at liberty by killing Hamestris, whom he had espoused.

Darius having been informed of this project, by the force of presents and promises engaged Udiastes, Teriteuchmes' intimate friend and confident, to prevent so black a design by assassinating him. He obeyed, and had for his reward the government of him he had put to death with his own hands.

Amongst Teriteuchmes' guards was a son of Udiastes, called Mithridates, very much attached to his master. The young gentleman, upon hearing that his father had commited this murder in person, uttered all manner of imprecations against him, and, full of horror for so infamous and vile an action, seized on the city of Zaris, and openly revolting, declared for the establishment of Teriteuchmes' son. But that young man could not hold out long against Darius. He was blocked up in the place with the son of Teriteuchmes, whom he had with him; and all the rest of the family of Hidarnes were put in prison and delivered to Parysatis, to do with them as that mother, exasperated to the last excess by the treatment either done or intended against her daughter Hamestris, should think fit. That cruel princess began by causing Roxana, whose beauty had been the occasion of this evil, to be sawed in two, and ordered all the rest to be put to death except Statira, whose life she granted to the tears and the most tender and ardent solicitations of Arsaces, whose love for his wife made him spare no pains for her preservation, though Darius his father believed it necessary, even for his own good, that she should share the same fate with the rest of her family. Such was the state of the affair at the death of Darius.

Statira, as soon as her husband was upon the throne, caused Udiastes to be delivered into her hands. She ordered his tongue to be torn out, and made him die in the most exquisite torments she could invent, to punish the crime which had occasioned the ruin of her family. She gave his government to Mithridates, in recompence for his attachment to the interests of her family. Parysatis on her side took her revenge on the son of Teriteuchmes, whom she caused to be poisoned; and we shall see that Statira's turn was not very remote,

We see here the terrible effects of female revenge, and in general of what excesses they are capable who find themselves above all laws, and have no other rule for their actions than their will and passions.

Cyrus, having resolved to dethrone his brother, employed Clearchus, the Lacedæmonian general, to raise a body of Grecian troops, under pretence of a war which that Spartan was to carry into Thrace. I shall defer speaking of this famous expedition, and also of the death of Socrates, which happened about the same time, intending to treat these two great events in all the extent they deserve. It was without doubt with the same view that Cyrus presented Lysander a galley of two cubits in length, made of ivory and gold, to congratulate him upon his naval victory. That galley was consecrated to Apollo in the temple of Delphos. Lysander went soon after to Sardis, charged with magnificent presents for Cyrus from the allies. It was upon that occasion Cyrus had the celebrated conversation with

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Lysander related by Xenophon, and which Cicero after him has applied so beautifully. That young prince, who piqued himself more upon his integrity and politeness than nobility and grandeur, pleased himself with conducting in person so illustrious a guest through his gardens, and to make him observe the various beauties of them. Lysander, struck with so fine a prospect, admired the manner in which the several parts were laid out; the height and projection of the trees; the neatness and disposition of the walks; the abundance of fruits, planted with an art which had known how to unite the useful with the agreeable; the beauty of the parterres, and the glowing variety of flowers, exhaling odours universally throughout the delightful scene. Every thing charms and transports me in this place," said Lysander, addressing himself to Cyrus; " but what strikes me most, is "the exquisite taste and elegant industry of the person who drew the plan "of the several parts of this garden, and gave it the fine order, wonderful disposition, and happiness of symmetry, which I cannot sufficiently ad"mire." Cyrus, infinitely pleased with this discourse, replied, "It was I "that drew the plan, and entirely marked it out; and not only that, many "of the trees which you see were planted with my own hands." 'What," replied Lysander, considering him from head to foot, "is it possible, with "these purple robes and splendid vestments, those strings of jewels, and "bracelets of gold, those buskins so richly embroidered, that you could 66 play the gardener, and employ your royal hands in planting trees!" "Does that surprise you?" says Cyrus. * "I swear by the god Mithris, "that when my health admits, I never sit down to table without having "made myself sweat with some fatigue or other, either in military exercise, "rural labour, or some other toilsome employment, to which I apply with pleasure, and without sparing myself." Lysander was amazed at his discourse, and pressing him by the hand, †“Cyrus," said he, “you are truly "happy, and deserve your high fortune; because you unite it with vir"tue."

Alcibiades was at no small pains to discover the mystery of the levies made by Cyrus, and went into the province of Pharnabasus, with design to proceed to the court of Persia, and to apprize Artaxerxes of the scheme laid against him. Had he arrived there, a discovery of such importance had infallibly procured him the favour of that prince, and the assistance be wanted for the re-establishment of his country. But the Lacedæmonian partisans at Athens, that is to say, the 30 tyrants, apprehended the intrigues of so superior a genius as his, and represented to their masters that they were inevitably ruined if they did not find means to rid themselves of Alcibiades. The Lacedæmonians thereupon wrote to Pharnabasus, and with an abject meanness not to be excused, and which showed how much Sparta had degenerated from her ancient manners, made pressing instances to him to deliver them at any rate from so formidable an enemy. The satrap complied with their wish. Alcibiades was then in a small town of Phrygia, where he lived with his concubine Timandra. Those who were sent to kill him, not daring to enter his house, contented themselves with surrounding and setting it on fire. Alcibiades, having quitted it through the flames,

*The Persians adored the sun under that name, who was their principal god. † Δικαίως, ὦ Κυρί, ευδαιμονείς αγαθος, γαρ συ ευδαιμονείς. Which Cicero translates: Recte vero te, Cyre, beatum ferunt, quoniam virtuti tuæ fortuna conjuncI it was said that Lais the famous courtesan, called the Corinthian, was the daughter of this Timandra.

ta est.

sword in hand, the barbarians were afraid to stay to come to blows with him, but flying and retreating as he advanced, they poured their darts and arrows upon him, and he fell dead upon the spot. Timandra took up his body, and having adorned and covered it with the finest robes she had, she made as magnificent a funeral for it as her present condition would admit. Such was the end of Alcibiades, whose great virtues were stifled and suppressed by still greater vices. *It is not easy to say whether his good or bad qualities were most pernicious to his country; for with one he deceived, and with the other he oppressed it. In him distinguished valour was united with nobility of blood. His person was beautiful and finely made, he was eloquent, of great ability in affairs, insinuating, and formed for charming all mankind. He loved glory, but without prejudice to his inclination for pleasure; nor was he so fond of pleasure, as to neglect his glory for it. He knew how to give into, or abstract himself from it, according to the situation of his affairs. Never was there ductility of genius equal to his. He metamorphosed himself with incredible facility, like a Proteus, into the most contrary forms, and supported them all with as much ease and grace as if each had been natural to him.

This convertibility of character, according to occasions, the customs of countries, and his own interests, discovers an heart void of principles, without either truth or justice. He did not confine himself either to religion, virtue, laws, duties, or his country. His sole rule of action was his private ambition, to which he reduced every thing. His aim was to please, to dazzle, and be beloved; but at the same time to subject those he soothed. He favoured them only as they served his purposes, and made his correspondence and society a means for engrossing every thing to himself. His life was a perpetual mixture of good and evil. His sallies for virtue were ill sustained, and quickly degenerated into vices and crimes, very little to the honour of the instructions of that great philosopher, who took no small pains to cultivate him into a man of worth. His actions were glorious, but without rule or principle. His character was elevated and grand, but without connection and consistence. He was successively the support and terror of the Lacedæmonians and Persians. He was either the misfor tune or refuge of his own country, according to his declaring for or against it. In fine, he was the author of an universal destructive war in Greece, from the sole motive of commanding, by inducing the Athenians to besiege Syracuse, much less from the hope of conquering Sicily, and afterwards Africa, than with the design of keeping Athens in dependance upon himself; convinced, that having to deal with an inconstant, suspicious, ungrateful, jealous people, averse to those that governed, it was necessary to engage them continually in some great affair, in order to make his services always necessary to them, and that they might not be at leisure to examine, censure, and condemn his conduct.

He had the fate generally experienced by persons of his character, and of which they cannot reasonably complain. He never loved any one, himself being his sole motive, nor ever found a friend. He made it his merit and glory to amuse all men, and nobody confided in or adhered to him. His sole view was to live with splendour, and to lord it universally; and he perished miserably, abandoned by the whole world, and obliged at his death to the feeble services and impotent zeal of one only woman for the last honours rendered to his remains.

* Cujus nescio utrum bona an vitia patriæ pernicosiora fuerint; illis enim cives suos decepit, his afflixit. Val. Max. l. iii. c. i.

About this time died Democritus the philosopher, of whom more will be said elsewhere.

SECTION II.

THE THIRTY EXERCISE THE MOST HORRID CRUELTIES AT ATHENS-THEY PUT THERAMENES TO DEATH-THRASYBULUS ATTACKS THE TYRANTS, IS MASTER OF ATHENS, AND RESTORES ITS LIBERTY.

THE council of thirty, * established at Athens by Lysander, committed the most execrable cruelties. Upon pretence of restraining the multitude within their duty, and to prevent seditions, they had caused guards to be assigned them, had armed 3000 of their citizens for that service, and at the same time disarmed all the rest. The whole city was in the utmost terror and dismay. Whoever opposed their injustice and violence became the victims of them. Riches were a crime that never failed of drawing sentence upon their owners, always followed with death and the confiscation of estates; which the thirty tyrants divided amongst themselves. They put more people to death, says Xenophon, in eight months of peace, than the enemy had done in a war of 30 years.

The two most considerable persons of the thirty were Critias and Theramenes, who at first lived in great union, and always acted in concert with each other. The latter had some honour, and loved his country. When he saw with what an excess of violence and cruelty his colleagues behaved, he declared openly against them, and thereby drew their resentment upon him. Critias became his most mortal enemy, and acted as informer against him before the senate, accusing him of disturbing the tranquility of the state, and of designing to subvert the present government. As he perceived that the defence of Theramenes was heard with silence and approbation, he was afraid that if the affair was left to the decision of the senate, they would acquit him. Having therefore caused a band of young men, whom he had armed with poniards to advance to the bar, he said that he thought it the duty of a supreme magistrate to prevent justice from being abused, and that he should act conformably upon this occasion. "But," continued he, as the law does not admit that any of the 3000 should be put to death without the consent of the senate, I exclude Theramenes "from that number, and condemn him to die in virtue of my own and my colleagues authority." Theramenes, upon these words, leaped upon the altar: "I demand," said he, "Athenians, that I may be tried according to "the laws; which cannot be refused me without manifest injustice. Not "that I imagine that the goodness of my cause will avail me any thing, or the sanction of altars protect me, but I would show at least that my en"emies respect neither the gods nor men. What most astonishes me is, that persons of your wisdom do not see that your own names may as easily "be struck out of the list of the citizens as that of Theramenes." tias upon this ordered the officers of justice to pull him down from the altar. An universal silence and terror ensued upon the sight of the armed soldiers that surrounded the senate. Of all the senators, only Socrates, whose disciple Theramenes had been, took upon him his defence, and opposed the officers of justice. But his weak endeavours could not save Theramenes, who was led to the place of execution, notwithstanding all

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Cri

* Xenoph. Hist. 1. ii. p. 462. et 479. Diod. 1. xiv. p. 235-238. Justin. l. v. e.

8-10.

he could do, through crowds of the citizens, who saw with tears, in the fate of a man equally considerable for his love of liberty and the great services he had done his country, what they had to fear for themselves. When they presented him the hemlock, that is, the poison, which was the manner of putting the citizens of Athens to death, he took it with an intrepid air ; and after having drank it, he poured the bottom upon the table, after the usual manner observed in feasts or public rejoicings, saying, "This for the "noble Critias." Xenophon relates this circumstance, inconsiderable in itself, to show, says he, the tranquility of Theramenes in his last moments. The tyrants, delivered from a colleague whose presence alone was a continual reproach to them, no longer observed any measures. Nothing passed throughout the city but imprisonments and murders. Every body trembled for themselves or their friends. The general desolation had no remedy, nor was there any hope of regaining their liberty. Where had they then as many * Harmodius' as they had tyrants? Terror had taken entire possession of their minds, whilst the whole city deplored in secret their loss of liberty, without having one amongst them generous enough to attempt the breaking of its chains. The Athenian people seemed to have lost that valour which till then had made them awful and terrible to their neighbours and enemies. They seemed to have lost the very use of speech; not daring to vent the least complaint, lest it should be made a capital crime in them. Socrates only continued intrepid. He consoled the afflicted senate, animated the desponding citizens, and set all men an admirable example of courage and resolution; preserving his liberty, and sustaining his port in the midst of 30 tyrants, who made all else tremble, but could never shake the constancy of Socrates with their menaces.† Critias, who had been his pupil, was the first to declare most openly against him, taking offence at the free and bold discourses which he held against the government of the thirty. He went so far as to prohibit his instructing youth; but Socrates, who neither acknowledged his authority nor feared the violent effects of it, paid no regard to so unjust an order.

All the citizens of any consideration in Athens, and who retained the love of liberty, quitted a place reduced to so hard and shameful a slavery, and sought elsewhere an asylum and retreat, where they might live in safety. At the head of these was Thrasybulus, a person of extraordinary merit, who beheld with the most lively affliction the miseries of his country. The Lacedæmonians had the inhumanity to endeavour to deprive those unhappy fugitives of this last resource. They published an edict to prohibit the cities of Greece from giving them refuge: decreed that they should be delivered up to the thirty tyrants, and condemned all such as should contravene the execution of this edict to pay a fine of five talents. Only two cities rejected with disdain so unjust an ordinance, Megara and Thebes; the latter of which made a decree to punish all persons whatsoever who should see an Athenian attacked by his enemies without doing his utmost to assist him. Lysias, an orator of Syracuse, who had been banished by the thirty, raised 500 soldiers at his own expence, and sent them to the aid of the common country of eloquence.

Thrasy bulus lost no time. After having taken Phyla, a small fort in Attica, he marched to the Piræus, of which he made himself master.

* Harmodius formed a conspiracy for the deliverance of Athens from the ty ranny of the Pisistratides.

+ Xenoph. Memorab. 1. i. p. 716, 717.

Quingentos milites, stipendio suo instructos, in auxilium patriæ communis elquentiæ misit. Justin. I. v. c. 9.